Caribbean American legislator eyed as possible 2018 Democratic challenger to New York Governor

Official NYC Council Photo by William Alatriste: Council Members Laurie Cumbo and Jumaane Williams

NEW YORK, CMC – A Caribbean American legislator here is the latest name to surface as a possible 2018 Democratic primary challenger to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.

New York Democratic Councilman Jumaane Williams, the son of Grenadian immigrants, who is considered one of the City Council’s farthest left, told the New York Daily News that he’s been approached by various people asking him to think about a run for governor.

Williams did not rule it out, even though he said currently he is “100 percent solely focused” on running for the City Council speakership that opens in January, but added, “it’s hard in politics to use the ‘never’ word.”

“There have been serious people speaking to me about it,” he said of the governor’s race, without identifying those encouraging him. “We’re at a time where people are afraid. People are worried and looking for people who are not afraid to stand up and speak truth to power. I’m just honored that people would think of me in that way.”

Williams has been a councilman since 2010, co-created the council’s progressive caucus and has been an outspoken critic of the New York Police Department (NYPD) policies.

SOMEONE FROM NYCHe said he believes it’s important that a candidate come from New York City to cut into Cuomo’s city base of black, Latino and liberal Democrats.

“I think we’re in some pretty dangerous times, and the governor isn’t helping; so it’s, important that somebody at some point step up to say the emperor has no clothes and really push the guy,” said Williams, criticising Cuomo for the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) mass transit crisis, accusing the governor of “emboldening a Republican state Senate majority” by not doing enough to reunify fractured Senate Democrats, and ridiculing Cuomo’s support for charter schools and big-money hedge fund donors.

Charles Galbreath, senior Pastor of Clarendon Road Church in East Flatbush, Brooklyn said the minority community is looking for someone “who can step up and speak for our community.

“I think he’s someone who has the ear of the people and a lot of people who are dissatisfied with what’s taking place in Albany [the state’s capital] currently,” Galbreath told the Daily News.

But Cuomo’s campaign chairman, Bill Mulrow, defended the governor’s progressive credentials, citing the passage of a US$15 hourly minimum wage, creation of a statewide paid family leave program, raising of the age of criminal responsibility, enactment of free college tuition for people making up to US$120,000 and environmental protection actions.

“This governor doesn’t talk about progressive issues, he actually gets them done,” Mulrow said. “Governor Cuomo has the strongest progressive record of any elected official in this country — period — and we look forward to building on that record in the third term.”

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